Student name: Raquel Carvalho

RUN-EU institution: Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal

Abstract

The automotive industry demand for complex, lightweight and high-performance parts, together with the growing need for carbon neutrality, sustainable manufacturing and efficiency, emphasises the use of additive manufacturing (AM) as a strategic methodology to meet these goals.

This study introduces a Selective Powder Deposition (SPD) technique for producing components for the automotive industry, with a case study on a component from a Formula Student electric racing car. SPD consists of depositing a material powder, in this case, metal powder and a support powder in a crucible. Additionally, this method allows the reuse of support powders, resulting in near-zero waste production.

Topology optimisation will be used to increase the potential of additive manufacturing, this concept uses mathematical methods to refine the design, achieving the most efficient material distribution through given conditions and constrains.